The Vulnerability of Life
by danicole93
Summary: Like characters from a romance novel, their love is forbidden. This doesn't stop Michael and Nikita from being together though. How long will it be before Percy and Amanda find out? Can allies like their tech nerd friend Birkhoff help them keep their love a secret? Read on to find out!
1. The Beginning

******** This story is set when Nikita is still an agent at Division. It is very similar to my first story, but yet very different. I wrote A LOT more for this one! Also, there is a lot more drama and action! Amanda is out for blood in this story ;) I hope you enjoy ! ********

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

The scene opens on the weapons lab. Nikita is packing gear for her current mission. She hears the door open and sees Michael walk in. A tiny smile forms across her lips when she realizes that it's him, but she quickly adjusts her facial expression before he sees. He walks up to her and she stops what she is doing to turn and face him.

"Gearing up for your op?" Asks Michael, studying her face closely.

"Yep, _I can't wait_." Nikita answers sarcastically. Michael rolls his eyes at her, but then grows stern as he starts to help her pack her gear. Suddenly they both reach for the same gun, and their hands touch for a second. Nikita pulls her hand away, but feels a tingly sensation that lasts long after the touch. She was always drawn to Michael since they met, but she knew that nothing could ever come of it, especially while they were both at Division. Besides, she didn't even know if he felt the same way. Sure, he tolerated her shameless flirting, but he probably assumed that it was just her personality. There is an awkward silence.

"Look," he begins solemnly, breaking the silence, "I know you don't like these kinds of missions, with civilian casualties..." he trails off.

"I do as I'm told, just like everybody else around here" Nikita answers.

"it's not exactly that black and white, Nikita" Michael counters.

"Whatever," Nikita brushes him off, continuing to pack, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Uh no," Michael answers awkwardly, "I just uh, wanted to know if you needed any help preparing for the mission, or if you don't feel up to it, I could ask Percy to find someone else for the job..." He blabbers on.

"No, I'm fine! I've got it, okay?" Nikita snapped. Michael looked a little shocked, but he didn't want to pry.

"Uh okay" Michael manages to answer.

"See you when I get back" she huffs as she grabs her bag and leaves the room.

Michael stared after her for a moment, utterly stunned. He's never seen her like this before. He could definitely tell that something was up. Ever since she was a recruit, she has been independent and stubborn. To just go along with a mission like that was not in her nature. Of course it wasn't his place to do anything about it. She was an agent now, not his recruit anymore. Although he felt a strong connection to her from their time training together. He saw a different side to her. The strong side that flirted with danger and could con her way out of anything. He smirked as he relayed memories of her first few weeks at Division in his head. She would attack trainers, refuse things, and un-apologetically flirt with him. She had certainly come a long way, and turned into a top notch agent. One of Division's best, by far. Not to mention beautiful and sexy. He cursed himself every time he had thoughts about her like that. He knew very well that internal relationships were forbidden, especially with a former recruit. Percy and Amanda would go crazy, and probably cancel him, or both of them. Or worse, just her! He had seen it done before, to Nikita herself. She had a boyfriend as part of her civilian cover, who she developed real feelings for. Percy found out and had him taken out of the equation. He couldn't have him getting in the way of his best agent. Michael sighed deeply as he turned off the lights to the weapons lab and shut the door behind him.


	2. The Revelation

**Chapter 2: The Revelation**

When Nikita came back from her mission, Michael tried to see her right away. Unfortunately, she was tied up in debrief for a few hours, and then headed straight home to her apartment. Michael knew the risks, but he just had to see that she was alright, so he drove to her apartment at 9:30pm. As he pulled up to her apartment complex, he sat in his car, trying to work up the nerve to actually go in. Before he could change his mind, he jumped out of his car, bounded up the stairs, and knocked on her door. He heard footsteps from inside, and a few minutes later, Nikita answered the door in a lacy pink nightgown, holding a gun.

"Michael?!" She asked, astonished.

"You gonna shoot me with that?" He smirked, looking her up and down. Even in the pale light of night, she was gorgeous.

"You can never be too careful she said," rolling her eyes, "Now what are you doing here? It's almost 10:00 at night!" She asked.

"I just wanted to check in after you got back from your op," he said with sincerity, "You seemed a bit apprehensive before you left..."

"So you came all the way to my apartment, at night?" She questioned skeptically.

"I didn't see you after your debrief, and I was worried." Michael admitted.

"You were?" Nikita asked, not sure if she should be flattered or concerned.

"Listen, can I come inside?" Michael asked.

"Are you crazy?" Nikita whisper-screams, "You know Division monitors this place 24/7!"

"And you know who reviews the footage? Me!" Michael smiled at her.

"Seriously?" She remarks.

"Yes, well sometimes," Michael answers, "I'll delete the footage tomorrow morning before anyone even notices" He assures her as he pushes past her and into the apartment.

"Oh sure, come one in why don't you!" Nikita exclaims sarcastically, shutting the door and padding into the living room where Michael was now inspecting every inch.

"Nice place you got here. I love how you've decorated" Michael smirked, plopping down on the sofa.

"You can stop with the act, Michael. I know you didn't come here for my exquisite taste for style and interior decorating skills. Now why are you really here? Because you're seriously risking both of our asses by being here" Nikita demanded, staring at him in a state of thrill and fear. Michael was actually in her house, just five feet away from her, at 10:00 at night, and she was in her nightgown. Was this really happening?!

"I already told you, I was worried," Michael answered anxiously, "Now tell me, how did the mission go?" He asked sincerely.

"It went fine. We got the targets. End of story." Nikita answered quickly.

"And that's it?" Michael asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, for the most part" Nikita tried to convince him.

"Now, I don't believe that," Michael exclaimed. He looked deep into her eyes knowingly, and she finally cracked. She sat down next to him on the couch.

"Well, you were right back at the weapons lab," she began, "I wasn't happy about going on the mission."

"I knew it!" Michael called out.

"Quiet! Do you want to get us both caught?! There are night guards that monitor the surveillance footage!" Nikita barked at him, covering his mouth with her hand. He grabbed it and pulled it down into his lap, holding it tight for a minute before releasing it.

"Sorry," He apologized, "So why were you unhappy?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"I hate those kind of missions, but I can't let Percy down! After what happened to Daniel, I can't afford to slip up again." She said, her face tense with emotion.

"You don't know for sure that Daniel's death was Percy's doing." Michael argued. But he did know. After it had happened, he did a little digging and found out that Percy had ordered the hit. Of course he didn't like the guy, because he had with Nikita what Michael always wanted, but he didn't deserve to die for it. And he hated what it did to Nikita. She was visibly miserable for weeks, and emotionally reserved for months afterwards. She was just now beginning to act like her old self again, and he wasn't going to let stirring up painful memories ruin her emotional state now.

"How else could it be explained?" Nikita cried, "He grew up swimming in that lake. He wouldn't just drown like that! It's all my fault for getting involved with him in the first place." She was getting upset, and Michael didn't want to see her hurting again.

"Hey," Michael said comfortingly, taking her hands in his, "You can't blame yourself for what happened. It won't do you any good. And don't worry about Percy. He won't hurt you. I _won't_ let him."

"Why are you protecting me?" Nikita asked, her eyes watering with emotion.

"Because," He said, placing his hands under her chin and wiping a single tear from her cheek, "I _care_ about you."

They looked deeply into each other's eyes, and at that moment, they knew that they felt the exact same way about each other. Michael knew that now was his moment to confess his true feelings, or else she might never know. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. He could taste her cherry chap-stick. He pulled back to see her reaction.

"I've been waiting so long to do that," he breathed, "Nikita, please say something" he asked desperately.

She was stunned, and perfectly still for a moment. Then she smiled and began to kiss him back vigorously. She pushed him down onto the sofa and straddled him, leaning down to continue to kiss him. She pulled off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. He was extremely muscular. She ran her hands down his abs and giggled.

"What?" Michael asked, smiling.

"Oh nothing," She smirked, "I've just always wondered what was under those extremely tight shirts of yours, and now I know" She giggled, kissing all the way down his chest.

"Oh yeah?" He said, pulling her in for another kiss. Then he pulled off her nightgown. She was wearing a black lace bra and panties. Michael ran his hands down her back and then lifted her up and pushed her down against the couch. He leaned over her, unhooking her bra as she pulled off her panties...


	3. The Lie

**Chapter 3: The Lie**

The next morning, Nikita awoke to a snoring Michael occupying half of her bed. His heavy arm was draped around her. She smiled and rubbed his head lovingly. He looked so peaceful sleeping there. She had never seen him so vulnerable. He was always so serious and commanding at work. She definitely liked this side of him. She deftly slipped out from under his arm, padded over to her closet and pulled on her robe. She quietly left the room and closed the door behind her. She made her way into the kitchen to make some coffee. About twenty minutes later, a disoriented Michael staggered into the kitchen sleepily, wearing a concerned look on his face.

"Morning sleepy head, want some coffee?" Nikita teased.

"Geez, Nikita! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Michael yelled, "When I woke up alone and you weren't there, I was terrified that Division had come and taken you in the middle of the night!"

"Aww," Nikita gushed, "But I'm here, see? Totally fine" She said, handing him a steaming mug of coffee. He smiled, thanked her, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Besides, last night never happened, got it?" Nikita said frankly, turning to start washing the dishes in the sink. Michael practically spat out his coffee in surprise.

"What?" He asked disbelievingly.

"This will _never_ work!" Nikita began, "Last night we let our emotions get the better of us and we can't let it happen again."

"How can you say that?" Michael asked incredulously.

"Easy. Just like that." Nikita said plainly.

"Last night was not just a one night stand for me," Michael said, sounding hurt, "It meant much more than that, and I thought it did for you too." Nikita hated making him feel this way, but she was only protecting him.

"It did..." she began tentatively.

"Then why are you saying these things?" Michael asked, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him.

"Don't you understand, Michael?" Nikita started, "This right here, you and me, is a ticking time bomb, just waiting to blow up in our faces!"

"We'll be careful," Michael assured her, "I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise!"

"But what about you?" Nikita pleaded, "I can't risk losing you! I won't lose you too and have it be my fault again."

"It won't come to that, I promise. I'm too valuable to Percy; we both are" Michael reassured her.

"Okay," Nikita agreed reluctantly, "But not a word of this to anyone! It's business as usual once we get to Division, you got it?"

"Of course. Ma'am yes ma'am!" Michael teased, slapping Nikita's butt as she walked away.

"Hey!" She called back menacingly, but her scold stare soon diminished into a fit of giggles. Then she turned serious. "You better get going," she told him, "Percy will start to wonder if you're not in at your usual time."

"Right," said Michael, pulling on his pants, "I'll see you there then." Nikita walked him to the door and handed him a bagel and his keys."

"Thanks sweetie" He said sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Nikita laughed. He kissed her quickly on the lips and bounded out the door.

"Later!" He called behind him. Nikita watched him get into his car, pull out of the lot, and watched until he disappeared down the road. She wanted to make sure that no one was tailing him. As long as those surveillance tapes were still around, she was worried that someone would find them. _If they did, they'd get quite a show_, she thought with a smirk. In all seriousness though, if they were caught, it could mean instant cancellation for both of them. Nikita finished up the dishes and then headed to the shower. It was now almost 9:00am and she had to be at work by 10:00am.

Michael, being the head of recruit training, had to be in at 8:30am. He pulled into his usual spot in the underground parking garage and put his car in park. He got out, walked to the elevator, and pressed floor 8 for Operations. He needed to sneak into the securities office and delete the surveillance footage of Nikita's apartment before anyone saw it. When he arrived, the room was dark and empty. _That's a good sign_, he thought to himself. He powered up the computer and logged on. He scrolled down to the folder labeled "NM1537" and double clicked. The footage from last night wasn't there. The time stamp told him that it had been accessed earlier this morning at 7:26am.

"Dammit!" Michael yelled out loud.

"Mad at the world today, buddy?" came a voice from behind. Michael whipped around to see his tech-geek friend Birkhoff standing in the doorway, holding an energy drink.

"Dammit Birkhoff, don't sneak up on me like that!" Michael called angrily.

"Take a chill pill dude, what are you doing in here anyways?" He asked.

"None of your business," Michael snapped quickly, minimizing the surveillance file window on the computer.

"I think it _is_ my business when I get here this morning to find a batch of surveillance footage flagged for review, and you wanna know who one of the stars of this footage is? YOU my friend!" Birkhoff points at Michael dramatically.

"I can explain-" Michael begins.

"No need," Birkhoff cuts him off, "You can spare me the details. I already saw most of them on film" He shuddered.

"Look, it's not what you think-" Michael started.

"I don't need an explanation, buddy" Birkhoff interrupted him again, "I already deleted the surveillance footage, so don't sweat it"

"Thank you man! I owe you!" Michael breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"But would you mind warning me next time you're planning on getting some action so I can delete it without watching? Birkhoff asked, "Because don't get me wrong, Niki's some fine ass, and good for you for tapping that, but I don't need to watch _you_ doing her, okay?" He complained.

"Hey, don't talk about her like that!" Michael barked at him.

"What? She's super hot, that's all," Birkhoff said innocently, "I mean, I give you props man. She's always been one hard, tightly wound piece of work to crack, but you managed to do it" He snickered.

"It's not like that at all!" Michael shot back angrily.

"Whoa, calm down dude," Birkhoff said, "I'm not trying to disrespect her as an agent or a person, but she's barely more than a recruit. I mean, what more could there possibly be between you two?"

"It's different with her, you know? She makes me feel like I'm a different person when I'm around her" Michael confessed.

"Aw man, please don't tell me that you're gonna get all sappy and emotional now!" Birkhoff whined.

"I _love_ her" Michael argued. Birkhoff literally spat out a mouthful of energy drink.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Birkhoff yelled in disbelief.

"Absolutely not" Michael shot back.

"I must be hallucinating. Seriously, who spiked my drink?" Birkhoff called out.

"Would you take it down a notch," Michael snapped, "Someone could here you!"

"I cannot believe you just said that!" Birkhoff answered back, "I mean, do you know how freaking insane you are?!"

"I can't help who I have feelings for, Birkhoff" Michael retorted haughtily.

"When you work for Percy, uh yeah, you can," Birkhoff shot back.

"He'll never find out!" Argued Michael, "You already deleted the footage, right?"

"Yeah, but that was just dumb luck!" Birkhoff countered, "Anyone could have come in here before me, seen the flag and watched the footage, and then you'd be in some very hot water, my friend!"

"What do you mean '_flag_?' " Asked Michael, confused.

"Shadow-bot. I designed it's surveillance system to flag any unusual footage. Unidentified individuals, suspicious behavior, _unlawful_ _romantic trysts_!" Birkhoff emphasized the last one.

"Oh," Michael said sheepishly, "I didn't know."

"Plus, the facial recognition software identifies all Division operatives and administrators on film, to prevent said trysts from happening and easily delete from cameras during an op, so it _double_ flagged your footage when it recognized your face at Niki's place." Birkhoff scolded.

"I'm sorry man," Michael offered.

"It's fine Mikie," Birkhoff conceded, "But dude, you're playing with fire, and sooner or later you're going to get burned. I mean, how long did you think you could keep this up, anyways?"

"I don't know. As long as I can I guess," Michael answered, "I'll just have to be more careful next time. But look, you deleted the footage, so we can pretend like it never happened and go back to normal" Michael offered as he maximized the browser window. He was scanning the dates on the footage of Nikita's apartment and did a double take when there was one left with yesterday's date and a 9:47pm time stamp.

"Shit man, I thought thought you said you deleted all of the footage from last night!" Michael yelled at Birkhoff.

"Slow down dude," Birkhoff said, "I did, but let me double check" He said as he walked over and looked over Michael's shoulder at the computer screen.

"See, right there!" Michael pointed at the screen, "The 9:47pm time stamp. That's right around when I got to Nikita's place!" They opened the file and watch the footage of Michael walking up the stairs, knocking on her door, and him walking in and never coming out.

"I must have missed this one, I'm sorry man" Birkhoff apologized.

"We've got an even bigger problem," Michael stated sternly, "Someone else accessed this footage at 8:13 this morning." He put his hand on his temples and rubbed hard.

"And this clearly has you entering Niki's apartment," Birkhoff continued, "And since I deleted the rest of the footage, they never saw you come out or what you did inside, so whatever noob saw this probably already reported it to Percy."

"This is a disaster!" Michael cried.

"Don't worry dude, we'll figure someone thing out."

"I can spin something, make up a lie about why I was there," Michael began, "But that won't explain the missing footage."

"I'll say it was a technical error, and a bunch of footage got deleted this morning by accident. I'll even delete a bunch of other random agent footage to make it more believable" Birkhoff offered.

"Okay, let's hope that works" Michael said uneasily. Just then, agent Marcos came into the room.

"Michael, Percy is requesting to see you in his office" he said plainly.

"Thanks Marcos," He said as he turned to Birkhoff, "I better get going. Thanks for your help, man."

"No problem man" Birkhoff answered, patting him on the back.

Birkhoff continued to delete random footage to keep up the appearance of the lie. Michael got up from his chair and turned to follow Marcos out of the room. He rode the elevator to the top floor, Percy's office. Michael made his way down the hall, cleared his throat, raised his hand, and knocked on the door.


	4. The Deception

**Chapter 4: The Deception**

The door swung open and Michael stepped inside, watching it close behind him. He twiddled his thumbs anxiously, waiting for Percy to turn around and face him. Michael knew how to lie out of his ass like the best of them, but he still felt uneasy doing it to his boss. Percy swiveled around in his chair and looked at Michael.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Michael asked unassumingly.

"Yes, I did" Percy echoed cooly.

"What about, Sir?" Michel questioned.

"It has come to my attention this morning that you had a rather late visit to one of our newest agent's apartments last night. Nikita Mears?" Percy emphasized her name. Michael smiled and took a breath, ready to recite his rehearsed lie.

"Yes, I did Sir. Is there a problem with that?" Michael posed.

"Well it just so happens that every file of footage recorded after your initial arrival has been deleted," Percy explained maniacally, obviously hoping to catch Michael in a lie, "Isn't that curious?" Percy thought out loud.

"Birkhoff told me that there was some sort of malfunction with Shadow-bot. You know, something computery like that, and it deleted some random footage of a lot of surveillance files actually" Michael explained without hesitation.

"Hmm," Percy sighed methodically, "That's unfortunate. What did you and Nikita talk about during your visit?"

"I just stopped by to debrief on her last mission. I designed it after all, and I didn't get a chance to see any of the agents involved before they left last night so..." Michael said innocently.

"And that's it?" Percy questioned skeptically.

"Yes Sir," Michael confirmed, "I left a few minutes after that footage was taken."

"Okay then," Percy conceded, "I trust you. Sorry to have wasted your time."

"No problem Sir," Michael offered, "I very well know that you can never be too careful."

"Right you are" Percy nodded in agreement as Michael turned to leave.

Michael took the elevator back to Level 8 and went straight into the main control room where most of the on-duty agents resided, looking for Nikita. He found her leaning over agent Thomas's computer, laughing, and watching him show her how to do some hack or another. Michael frowned. He didn't like seeing her with other guys, especially since no one knew that they were together, so they assumed that their flirting was innocent. Nikita looked up and smiled when she saw Michael. She threw her hand up to wave at him but stopped it in mid air when she realized how odd it might look to everyone else if she waved at their boss when no one ever did before. Michael strode over to Thomas's station seriously.

"Nikita," Michael cleared his throat authoritatively, "May I speak with you please?"

"What's up?" She asked, in mid giggle. Michael glared at Thomas, and then turned back to Nikita.

"In private," he clarified, "In my office." Nikita turned to Thomas and smiled apologetically.

"Looks like the funs over," she giggled, "Thanks for your help!" She called as she jumped up and swaggered off towards Michael's office. As soon as they were both inside, Michael slammed the door and whipped around.

"What the hell was that out there? With Thomas?!" Michael demanded.

"What?" Nikita asked incredulously, "How about what was up with _you_ out there? I mean, I know I said business as usual, but you were acting like I'm some sort of dumb recruit out there!"

"You need to be more careful!" Michael yelled, "Fawning over Thomas like that! You're practically screaming 'hey look at me! I'm in a relationship with a coworker! Come cancel me!'" Michael mimicked.

"Wow," Nikita breathed haughtily, "Jealous much?"

"Oh please," Michael snorted, "I am _not_ jealous of that _tool_"

"Sure seems like it to me" Nikita accused.

"He's a baby! Barely been an agent two years" Michael scoffed.

"Then why else would you practically accuse me of having an affair with him when you know perfectly well who the only guy I've ever had feelings for here is?" Nikita asked accusingly.

"Birkhoff knows about us" Michael admitted.

"What?" Nikita breathed, terrified.

"And Percy suspects, or doesn't suspect. I can't really tell" Michael continued.

"How?" Nikita asked, sitting down on top of his desk.

"Well apparently the surveillance footage of your place last night raised some red flags with Shadow-bot. Long story short, Birkhoff watched it and then deleted it."

"Eww. Birkhoff _watched_ us?" Nikita cringed.

"Yeah" Michael chortled.

"Wait, if he deleted it, then what's the problem?" Nikita asked, "And _why_ would he delete it for us?"

"Birkhoff and I are friends. He didn't want to see me in trouble," Michael answered, "And the problem is that he missed the tape that shows me arriving at your place, so someone else saw it and showed it to Percy."

"Oh my god. This is awful!" Cried Nikita, "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry, I already talked to him," Michael assured her, "I think I successfully got him off our scent. But we can't be too careful."

"Right, extra careful." Nikita agreed. Suddenly she sat up, smiled, and got a mischievous grin on her face. She stood up and walked up to Michael. "Does that mean I can't do _this_?" She asked teasingly as she ran her hands down his lower back and into his pants.

"Hey" He cried warningly but happily, "You know we can't do that here." Nikita's face dropped.

"Aww you're no fun!" She pouted, giving Michael the puppy dog eyes.

"That's not fair," Michael countered, "You can't use emotion to sway me."

"Then maybe I can use something else" Nikita smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him all over.

"Now that's _really_ not fair" Michael smiled as he pulled her in tighter. She wrapped her legs around his chest and he walked her over to his desk and set her down. He leaned over her as they continued to kiss vigorously. Michael pulled his shirt off quickly, and he had just pulled off Nikita's when a knock came at the door.

"Yo Mike, it's me" Birkhoff's voice came muffled through the door. He turned the door knob and opened to the door to find them both frantically putting their shirts back on.

"Whoa!" Birkhoff called out, "Seriously guys? You're gonna do that here, right after the events of this morning?"

"Don't you knock?" Michael shot back, buttoning up his shirt.

"Seriously Nerd, ever heard of a little thing called privacy?" Nikita teased.

"Privacy doesn't exist when you work at Division!" Birkhoff countered. Nikita rolled her eyes at him and giggled.

"Laugh all you want Niki, but sooner or later this little game you two are playing is gonna bite you in the ass, and don't come crying to me when that happens" He wagged his finger warningly at them.

"I think it's time you switch to decaf, Nerd. You're a little tightly would today" Nikita taunted him as she pulled her shirt back over her head.

"Whatever," He said annoyed, "But just so you know, that could have been anyone at the door just now, and you two would have been exposed" He warned.

"No one else has the balls to barge in on my office except you, Birkhoff" Michael argued. Nikita laughed as she slipped her shoes back on and ran her hands through her long, jet black hair to smooth it out.

"Why don't I let you two boys duke it out" She smirked as she stood up to leave. "We'll continue this later" She whispered seductively in Michael's ear as she pulled him in for a goodbye kiss.

"I heard that" Birkhoff groaned, annoyed.

"See ya later, Nerd!" Nikita laughed as she rustled his hair on her way past him as she sauntered out the door. She turned her head and winked at both of them as the door shut behind her. Michael stared after her, grinning like a fool.

"Yo! Earth to Mike!" Birkhoff called, waving his hands in Michael's face.

"What? Oh, sorry" Michael said, coming out of a daze.

"She's really got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?" Birkhoff said disapprovingly.

"It's not like that," Michael retorted, "_I'm_ the one that instigated last night."

"Yeah, but don't tell me you didn't notice her coming on to you ever since she got here?" Birkhoff countered.

"She's not a slut, Birkhoff" Michael growled angrily.

"I'm not saying that man," Birkhoff said defensively, "But she's also not innocent."

"So what if she's a little outgoing and bold?" Michael asked innocently, "That's what I like about her. She's not afraid of who she is. She embraces it."

"Yeah, but that un-shyness is gonna get Niki killed one of these days, and I don't want to deal with the aftermath of your guilt for being the cause."

"We're being careful, okay?" Michael assured him strongly, hinting that the conversation should stop there."

"Just don't say I never warned you, dude" Birkhoff sighed as he left the room.


	5. The Complication

**Chapter 5: The Complication**

It had been three months since their first night together at Nikita's apartment, and they were almost inseparable. At work, they stole longing glances and suggestive winks. Their only contact was brushing hands or shoulders as they past each other, where they always lingered a little longer than is normal. As soon as work was over, they would find places to meet in public, so as not to arouse any suspicions. Their secret rendezvous almost always led to them ending up back at Michael's apartment, because it didn't have surveillance; a perk reserved only for those with the highest clearance within Division. On overseas missions, they found time to sneak off together undetected.

Things were going great. Until about two weeks after their last overseas mission, that is. Nikita started feeling funny. Her eating habits were changing, she was sore in places that she usually wasn't, and she was sure that she had gained a few pounds, even though her diet and exercise regiment hadn't changed. She sat in her kitchen one morning, racking her brain for reasons for her symptoms until she thought of the most impossible explanation, and then she froze in her tracks. She frantically started counting back the days in her head. _Oh crap_, she thought desperately. _My period is late_! She quickly grabbed her keys and drove to the drug store on the opposite end of town so as to avoid Division seeing her on the security cameras at the store near her apartment. She picked up three tests and sped back home, hiding the bag in her purse for the cameras. She downed three glasses of water, peed on the sticks, and waited. About two minutes later, she took a deep breath, picked up one of the tests, and turned it over. Staring back at her was a little pink plus sign. Her heart dropped as she turned over the other two tests to find the same thing.

"Oh my god" She whispered to herself, blinking back tears.

_What am I going to do_?! She thought desperately. She glanced at the clock. It was 9:37am and she had to be at work soon. She quickly shoved the tests in the trash, splashed cool water on her face, blotted it with a towel, and left the bathroom. She had to go to work like nothing was different. Otherwise, someone would suspect something, and her and Michael's mountain of lies would come crashing down on top of them. When she got to work, she avoided Michael's glances, and made no attempt to talk to him for any reason, whether work related or personal. Michael noticed this change in behavior, for he called her over to his office.

"Yes Michael?" She asked agitated.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, concerned.

"I'm fine, now do you want something?" She snapped.

"Yeah," he called, getting concerned, "I want you to tell me what's wrong" He said, grabbing her shoulders.

"I told you it's nothing!" She cried, pushing away from him.

"Yes it is! You've been avoiding me all day," Michael said indignantly, "Is it something I did? Because if it is, I'm sorry for whatever it is. Although, I don't exactly know what it is. We've barely seen each other since our last mission..." he trailed off.

"Yes," Nikita conceded, her eyes misty, "It's something you did."

"What then?" He asked, "I want to fix it!"

"It's something both of us did really," Nikita laughed through her tears.

"Both of us?" Michael asked confused.

"And it can't be fixed with the flick of a wrist either!" She cried.

"Nikita, what on earth is it? You're scaring me!" Michael said, concerned.

"Don't you get it?!" Nikita blubbered, "I'm pregnant!" She threw up her hands and collapsed into a chair.

"What?" Michael said, completely shocked. He staggered backward, barely catching his balance.

"I told you, I'm-" Nikita started.

"But how?!" He cried incredulously, cutting her off.

"I just am!" Nikita exhaled.

"This is impossible!" Michael laughed, delirious with emotion.

"Well apparently not," Nikita retorted, "Because I peed on three sticks and they all told me that I have a tiny _fetus_ growing inside of me!"

"This is crazy" Michael breathed.

"I know right?!" Nikita added.

"And amazing" He smiled.

"What?" Nikita asked.

"This is great news!" Michael exclaimed.

"How can you say that?" Nikita demanded, "This is a disaster!"

"Nikita," Michael called soothingly as he pulled her in close and kissed her forehead, "I _love_ you."

"That doesn't change the ridiculousness of our situation, Michael" Nikita pleaded.

"We'll figure it out" Michael assured her.

"How?" She begged.

"I don't know," Michael admitted, "We'll leave. We'll get out. We'll take a plane somewhere and never look back" He offered.

"Michael you know that would never work," Nikita began, "There's nowhere we could go that Division couldn't find us"

"But what other choice do we have?" Michael challenged.

"I don't know!" Cried Nikita.

"Does it sound so bad?" Asked Michael.

"No, it sounds amazing actually" Nikita admitted.

"Then let's do it!" Michael exclaimed!

"Take off, just like that?" She asked.

"Yes! Why not?"

"I can think of a million reasons!"

"Name one."

"Well, me!"

"What?"

"I'm pregnant Michael, remember? Last time I checked, a pregnant woman on the run doesn't bode very well. Or so I imagine."

"But you're fine to travel _now_!"

"Yes, but what about a few months from now, when I'm twice this size and I can't move as quickly or protect myself as well? What if Division were to find us then?"

"I'll protect you!"

"I can't put that kind of pressure on you!"

"You don't have to. I will always protect you. I would die to protect you and our child" He said, resting his hand on Nikita's stomach.

"That's what worries me!"

"Well don't! It's not good for the baby," he teased, "We will be fine."

"Say we get away, find a nice cottage somewhere, and I have the baby. What then? How do two dead people with no real identities raise a child in this world? And besides, I'm not mother material at all!"

"Yes, you are! You will be great at whatever you do. And I'll be here to help. Don't forget that we're in this together. We'll get fake identities and possibly homeschool he or she. Or send them to a regular school under a fake name. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it as it comes."

"So how are we gonna do this right now?"

"I figured we'd leave in the middle of the night, take a red eye to some non-extradition country of our choosing, and take it from there."

"Okay."

"For now, go about business as usual. When you get home, pack as much as you can into a suitcase and meet me at the airport at 10:00pm."

"Got it." She grabbed his face and kissed him hard before leaving.


	6. The Encounter

**Chapter 6: The Encounter**

Fast forward five years into the future. Nikita and Michael have successfully avoided Division's grasps ever since they escaped five years earlier. Since then, they bought an adorable cottage near a gorgeous beach in Barbados. About eight months after their escape, Nikita gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They named her Ava. Having Ava gave them a great in with the community, and they soon became one of the most beloved families in town. One day, when Nikita was grocery shopping with her daughter, Ava wandered off into the cereal isle to pick out the most sugary one she could find. While stretched on her tippy toes, attempting to reach a box on a high shelf, she ran into a nice man who offered her help.

"Hey there sweetie," Birkhoff called sweetly. He grabbed the box she was reaching for, kneeled down to her level, and handed it to her.

"Thanks mister!" She beamed preciously.

"You're very welcome," Smiled Birkhoff, "What's your name?" He asked. When he looked at her, he couldn't shake the feeling that she reminded him of someone he knew, or _someones_. But it had been five years since he'd seen them, so he couldn't be sure. Yet her delicate features and jet black hair unmistakably resembled hers, and her bright brown eyes gleamed exactly like his. She was the perfect beautiful combination of the two of them. But what are the chances?

"Ava" She replied adorably.

"Well Ava, are you picking out cereal?" He asked.

"Yep!" She said happily, "But mommy doesn't know I'm here cuz she doesn't let me eat the sugary kinds" Ava explained precociously.

"Where _is_ your mommy or daddy?" He asked her. Just then, they both heard a voice call out in a sing songy tune.

"Aaaava! Where aaaaare you?" Nikita called as she entered the isle. As soon as he heard that voice, he knew it was her. He couldn't believe it.

"Mommy!" Ava giggled happily as she dropped the box of cereal in her hands and ran over to greet her, knocking over a whole stack as she did.

"There you are darling! I was worried about you. What has mommy told you about running off like that?" Nikita scolded, scooping Ava up and resting her on her hip.

"Not to do it," Ava answered obediently, "But that nice man was helping me," Ava explained as she pointed at Birkhoff. Nikita looked over and saw him bent over on the ground, cleaning up Ava's mess.

"Oh I'm so sorry about that!" Nikita apologized, "Ava, please apologize to this nice man"

"Sorry mister" Ava crooned sweetly.

"Again, I'm really sorry. She has a mind of her own" Nikita explained apologetically, laughing it off in a 'kids will be kids' sort of way.

"She takes after her parents then" Birkhoff said knowingly as he turned around and stood up. Nikita froze in her tracks, her face turning pale white. She clutched Ava tighter and backed up a few paces.

"_Nerd_?" Nikita whispered, bewildered. She quickly scanned the perimeters for any other signs of Division.

"Long time no see, _Niki_" He answered.

"What are you?-"

"Division op. They needed an on-site tech and I felt like taking a vacation" Birkhoff answered with a sly smile. Birkhoff's endless wit and sarcasm took Nikita back to her days at Division. He hadn't changed a bit, besides looking older and more worn.

"Oh." Nikita said quietly, shifting the weight of Ava in her arms. There was an awkward silence.

"I never thought i'd see _you_ again" Birkhoff offered.

"Nor I _you_" Nikita replied.

"So uh," Birkhoff stammered, staring at Ava, "This is your uh"

"My daughter, yes" Nikita finished for him.

"How old is she?" He asked.

"I'm _this_ many!" Ava exclaimed, holding up five fingers.

"Thats right," Nikita encouraged her, "You're _five_. Such a big girl now." Ava beamed with pride. Birkhoff did the math quickly in his head and then his eyes widened.

"So _she's_ the reason you-"

"Left Division?" Nikita asked, getting defensive, "Yes, but don't act so surprised. We would have left eventually anyways. That place is corrupt and you _know_ it."

"Yeah but-" Birkhoff started.

"_She_," Nikita said, indicating Ava, "Just sped things up a bit and helped us see the light."

"Do you know this funny man?" Ava suddenly cut in questioningly, pointing at Birkhoff.

"It's rude to point honey," Nikita said, pulling Ava's tiny arm down, "But yes, mommy does know him. He's an, _old_ _friend_" She paused slightly before saying that last part.

"So how's Mike?" Birkhoff asked fidgeting a bit. Nikita could hear the pain and hurt in his eyes. She could imagine the hurt he must have felt when they left with no goodbye.

"He's fine, we uh-" Nikita began. Just then Michael came striding down the isle.

"Hey! _There_ you are babe," I've been looking for you in the produce isle. I never thought I'd find you _here_" He joked.

"DADDY!" Ava squealed with joy. She squirmed out of Nikita's arms, ran down the isle, and leaped into her father's open arms.

"Heeeey! There's my baby girl! Come to daddy!" He called lovingly. He scooped her up in a bear hug and began to tickle her. She shrieked with delight. Birkhoff watched the father-daughter interaction and smiled. He always knew that Michael was a softy at heart, and was destined to be a father.

"Who is mommy talking to?" Michael asked Ava.

"An old friend," Ava recited proudly, remembering the exact words her mom had used.

"Oh really?" Michael asked, suddenly curious. He walked over to Nikita and the stranger she was talking to. As he strolled up behind Nikita, he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

"Hey" She smiled up at him. When he looked at the man she was talking to, he instantly recognized him.

"Birkhoff!" He called, surprised.

"Good to see you, man" Birkhoff said to Michael. An awkward hand shake-hug ensued.

"What is he?-" Michael asked Nikita.

"Division op" She replied.

"Who else is here?" Michael demanded, growing tense and looking around.

"An alpha and a strike team," Birkhoff said quickly, "But don't worry! None of them will know you're here. I didn't rat you out five years ago and I won't do it now. Even if you _did_ just leave without so much as a note!" He added, pouting.

"I'm sorry about that," Michael apologized, "But we couldn't risk anyone even having the slightest idea of our whereabouts"

"Besides," Nikita chimed in, "If we had told you, you would have been in danger. If Percy or Amanda had found out that you were keeping valuable information from them, they would have cancelled you on the spot! And we couldn't have that on our consciences."

"I guess that's true," Birkhoff conceded, "As it was, I was subjected to hours of rendition the morning after your disappearance. They were all hard core about it for months. They had 24 hour surveillance on every airport and the entire state of New Jersey. They lost interest about six months out, but there's still a standing kill order out on both of you, and it's a running mission for anyone on their down time to keep a lookout for you two. They're still hell bent on finding you guys." He warned.

"I'm sorry, dude" Nikita offered.

"They completely tore apart your apartments too," Birkhoff added, "The only thing they kept though was a bag of trash from Niki's place. I have no idea why it was so important though" Birkhoff shrugged.

"Oh my god." Nikita breathed.

"What?" Michael asked, turning into panic mode. Birkhoff echoed his worry and confusion.

"I threw my pregnancy test in the trash that night!" She explained, slapping her forehead.

"So that means-" Michael started as he put the pieces together.

"That they know about Ava" Birkhoff finished for him.

"That's me!" Ava trilled happily. All three adults smiled and laughed.

"That's right sweetie" Nikita cooed, giving her daughter Eskimo kisses.

"That must be why they're still looking for you" Birkhoff suggested.

"To use Ava to hurt us!" Michael growled, holding her tighter.

"That's not going to happen" Nikita said sternly.

"We have to move tonight," Michael said, growing angry, "Dammit! We were settled down here!" He yelled, punching the air. Nikita winced as his anger got the better of him.

"Daddy?" Ava asked, concern evident in her wavering voice.

"I'm sorry baby girl," Michael said, growing calm, "Daddy's fine. He just got upset for a minute"

"Can I kiss it and make it better?" She offered him innocently.

"Yes you can" He accepted sweetly. Ava leaned into her father and kissed his cheek softly.

"Where will we go?" Nikita asked desperately.

"I don't know," Michael shot back quickly, "We'll pick someplace on a map and just go. We won't even pack. We'll just go home, get our money, and head to the airport.

"What?" Birkhoff asked, confused.

"You said it yourself," Nikita interjected, "Division is still after us! The only way to be safe is to constantly be on the move. I guess it was just naive of me to think that they might give up and let us live in peace."

"No! You can't live like that," Birkhoff exclaimed, "I already said I wouldn't tell anyone that I saw you."

"You can't risk that," Michael told him, "You have to report us. What if someone else were to see us talking and report _you_?"

"They won't! I promise!" Birkhoff tried to assure them.

"The only way to keep us all safe is for you to report that you saw us, but we were too fast for you and you lost us" Michael ordered.

"Okay, I guess I can do that. If you're absolutely _sure_ it's what you want" He looked at them intensely.

"It _is_," Nikita assured him, squeezing his hands.

"Alright then, you guys better get going. I need to get these groceries back to the safe house before everyone starts to wonder where I am."

"Yeah, let's go" Michael said, taking Nikita's hand in his.

"Bye nerd," Nikita said, squeezing his shoulder.

"Thanks for all your help, man" Michael said, and another awkward bro-hug ensues.

"Don't sweat it" Birkhoff replied, smiling, "Will I ever see you again?"

"Perhaps," Nikita answered, "But _we'll_ find _you_" She winked. He nodded knowingly.

"Bye bye mister" Ava waved to Birkhoff over her dad's shoulder. Birkhoff smiled and waved back, watching the family exit the store. He turned back to his shopping, going over the cover story in his head. Just then, agent Fields, who was on assignment with him and had been waiting in the car, appeared in the isle.

"There you are, Birkhoff!" He called out.

"What's up Fields?" Birkhoff asked, a little uneasy. He had no way of knowing how much Fields had seen or heard.

"I was just coming to see what was taking so long, when I came across _them_ coming out of store" Fields exclaimed eagerly as he shoved his phone in Birkhoff's face. It was a perfect shot of Nikita holding Ava, and Michael at her side carrying bags of groceries out of the store. All three of their faces were perfectly in view, so Division's facial recognition software would have no problem identifying the two rogue operatives, and the little girl as their biological daughter. Birkhoff turned white and handed the phone back to Fields.


	7. The Exposure

**Chapter 7: The Exposure**

"It's Michael and Nikita! I didn't recognize them at first, but it hit me just in time to snap this photo," Fields explained, beaming with pride, "You didn't see them in here did you?"

"Yeah, _great_ _work_ Dorthea Lang," Birkhoff retorted sarcastically, "And do you think I'd still be here buying you morons coco puffs if I had seen them?" He added indignantly.

"No, I guess not," Fields agreed, his smile fading from Birkhoff's chastising, "Anyway, I better send this to Percy right away!"

"You go ahead and do that," Birkhoff brushed him off, "Just go back to the car and wait so I can finish this endless shopping list. Seriously, it's food enough for an entire army" he complained as he walked down towards the next isle. He absentmindedly shopped while listening to Fields's phone conversation with Amanda.

"So this is where they've been hiding. Well done," Amanda praised him in happiest tone Birkhoff had ever heard come out of her mouth, "Facial recognition software confirms that it's them, though I'd know those two anywhere."

"And what about the girl?" Fields asked her.

"The girl is their daughter," Amanda answered plainly, "Obviously the result of the positive pregnancy test we found in Nikita's trash five years ago. She's the spitting image of her mother, really. And she has Michael's eyes, too" she remarked.

"How shall we proceed, ma'am?" Fields questioned.

"Question locals at the store," Amanda ordered, "Someone is bound to know them, and they might have valuable information. They'll be using fake names though, so show them the photo."

"Got it," Fields answered.

"Oh, and if you see them," Amanda added, "Attempt capture. But above anything else, capture the little girl alive."

"Yes ma'am," Fields obeyed, "I'll report back when we have more."

"Looking forward to it" Amanda said as she hung up the phone.

Fields pulled up the photo on his phone and set off to question some local shoppers. He approached a nice-looking couple in their late sixties.

"Excuse me miss," Fields cleared his throat, "But do you know these people?" he asked, holding up the photo for her to see.

"Well hello there honey," she said sweetly, looking at the phone, "Why yes I do know them! That's Lisa and Andrew Bennett, and their adorable daughter Ava. Sweetest people you ever did meet!" She smiled big.

"And do you know where they live?" Fields asked, "I'm an old friend, and I'm here for a visit but I seem to have lost my way."

"Of course dear," The woman answered, "They're over on Pine street, number 42. Right honey? Don't the Bennett's live at 42?" She asked her husband, hitting him in the gut.

"What?" He asked in a daze, "Oh yeah, they do."

"You'll have to excuse my husband," the woman apologized, "He's not the most social creature."

"That's okay ma'am," Fields replied, "You've been _most_ helpful."

Birkhoff cringed as the words sunk in. _This is a disaster_, he thought miserably. There was no way to warn Michael and Nikita, and they would be walking right into a trap going back to their house.


	8. The Capture

**Chapter 8: The Capture**

As soon as they arrived home, Nikita and Michael quickly set to work packing a suitcase for each of them with clothes and a few essentials. The frantic atmosphere concerned Ava, and confused her. As Nikita was packing some clothes for Ava in her tiny purple suitcase, she felt a small tug on her shirt. She looked down to see Ava staring up at her.

"Where are we going, mommy?" Ava asked innocently. Nikita stopped what she was doing, faced her daughter, and rested her hands on her shoulders.

"We're going on a long trip, sweetie," Nikita explained.

"Where?" She questioned.

"Somewhere very pretty with lots of flowers and a beach," Nikita promised.

"Can my stufties come with us?" Ava begged, pointing to the mountain of stuffed animals on her bed.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Nikita apologized, "But I'm afraid we only have room for one of your friends to make the trip with us." Ava's face fell with sadness. "Why don't you take Mr. Hopper? Isn't he your favorite?" Nikita offered.

"Okay," Ava giggled, bounding over to her bed. She scooped up a light brown, floppy eared bunny with a pink nose and hugged him tight.

"Now come on, it's time to go," Nikita announced, "Let's go find daddy." Nikita took her daughter's hand and rolled her suitcase in the other as they went down the hall.

"Hey," Michael called from the kitchen, "Are you ready?" He was loading up what was left of their weapons supply. Since they escaped Division, they hadn't had a great need for arms or ammunition, but they always kept a few on hand just in case.

"Yeah, just about" Nikita answered him.

"We're going on vacation, daddy!" Ava called excitedly as she skipped into the kitchen.

"Yes," Michael called back, "That's right baby girl." He scooped her up for a big hug.

"Are you and Mr. Hopper ready to go?" He asked, giving her kisses with the stuffed animal. Ava shrieked with glee in response.

"Listen sweetie," Michael began seriously, "Do you remember the place that mommy and daddy told you about, Division?"

"The bad place where you and mommy used to work?" Ava asked.

"Yes, that right," Michael answered, "Well if you see anyone that looks funny or talks to someone in their ear, I want you to run away, you got it?"

"Yes daddy" Ava assured him.

"That's my girl" He praised her, "Now go get your jacket" he told her. She skipped down the hall, bunny in hands. A few seconds later they heard Ava shriek with fear. Nikita and Micael both raced down the hall and into her room, but it was too late. She was gone.


	9. The Ransom

**Chapter 9: The Ransom**

Ava awoke groggily in a strange room filled with cold, metal objects. She found herself on a hard, black couch. She began to sniffle as she looked around for any signs of life. She didn't see anyone, or recognize the bad guys that grabbed her. She was scared. Where were her mommy and daddy? She hoped that they would come and get her soon. Suddenly, a woman wearing a pretty dress and fancy heels came stalking into the room.

"Hello there, Ava" Amanda addressed her.

"Who are you?" Ava blubbered meekly.

"My name is Amanda," she explained, "And I'm not going to hurt you, as long as you stay calm and answer my questions." Ava began to wail miserably.

"Where's my mommy?" She cried.

"Your _mommy_," Amanda began, "Is just who I want to talk to you about."

"Why?" Ava wondered.

"Because I know your mommy very well," Amanda explained, "And I would very much like to speak with her."

"I don't know where she is," Ava wailed, "These scary guys took me away from my mommy and daddy."

"Those were my men." Amanda explained.

"Are you Division?" Ava asked. Amanda laughed in surprise.

"My my," Amanda cooed, "Your parents really taught you everything, didn't they?"

"They said that you are bad guys," Ava told her, "And that I should run away if I ever saw you."

"You don't have to fear us, Ava" Amanda assured her.

"My mommy and daddy wouldn't lie to me!" Ava cried back.

"Your mommy and daddy are in big trouble Ava," Amanda told her, "But I promise you we don't want to hurt them," She lied.

"You promise?" She asked, calming down a bit.

"Yes," Amanda smiled, "Now please, tell me everything you know."

Ava spent the next few minutes relaying everything that she could remember to Amanda. She told her about the scary guns she had seen in the house, the strange vacation they were about to take with almost no luggage, and the nice mister they met at the grocery store. Just then, Birkhoff strolled past the window.

"Hey mister!" Ava called, waving through the glass and smiling big. She was happy to see a familiar and friendly face. Birkhoff stopped in his tracks and froze in surprise.

"That's him!" Ava cried, "That's the nice mister mommy was talking to in the store."

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked sternly."

"Uh huh," Ava replied confidently, "Mommy called him ne-erd." She giggled at the silly word she didn't understand.

"Well then Ava," Amanda smiled, "You have been most helpful. Thank you."

"You're welcome lady," Ava replied, "Can I go back to my mommy and daddy now?"

"Soon, Ava" Amanda promised, to an unsuspecting Ava.

**_The scene changes to Michael and Nikita, back at the house._**

"Michael," Nikita hyperventilated, "Michael where is she?!" She demanded.

"They took her!" He growled angrily, punching the bed.

"Michael, what do we do?!" Nikita blubbered. Just then, he saw Mr. Hopper on the ground, and attached to him was a slip of paper. He picked it up and unfolded it.

"She must have dropped him when they grabbed her," Michael deduced as he began to read the note out loud, "If you know what's best for her, you'll do exactly as I say. Call this number for further instructions. You have one hour to decide."

"This isn't happening," Nikita breathed, "This can't be happening!"

"Hey listen," Michael calmed her down, bringing her in for a hug, "We are going to get her back. And when we do, we are going to kill anyone who gets in our way."

"We have to call," Nikita said, "It's our only chance to find out where she is."

"Okay let's do it," Michael agreed, punching in the number to his secure, non traceable phone. He put in on speaker. It only rang twice before it was answered.

"Hello, Nikita." Amanda answered smugly.

"_Where_ is she?" Michael demanded angrily through gritted teeth.

"Michael," Amanda trilled, "What a surprise to hear your voice too. Or _not_."

"Answer the question!" Nikita barked.

"Oh, in time" Amanda answered cryptically.

"We're not playing games here, Amanda!" Michael roared, "Now tell us where our daughter is NOW!" He ordered.

"My demands are simple," Amanda purred, "Surrender yourselves and the black box, and your daughter will go free."

"No way!" Cried Nikita, "We're not leaving her to grow up in foster care!"

"Refuse and you'll never see her again" Amanda warned.

"You won't kill her," Michael attempted, "She's your only leverage."

"Oh I have a plan much worse than death in your eyes," Amanda announced with glee, "Do what I say or I will raise Ava as my own and turn her into an agent whose sole mission is to find and kill the both of you."

"NO!" Nikita cried in anguish.

"_Yes_," Ananda answered, "Now I'd get going if I were you. There are only so many flights to New Jersey a day, and time is ticking!"

A few hours later, they had made it to New Jersey. They were staying in an abandoned warehouse. Nikita felt uneasy about the whole thing. Of course she would sacrifice herself for her daughter, but at what cost? She couldn't bare the thought of Ava growing up in the hells of foster care like she did. While Michael was cooking dinner, she took her phone, walked out of his ear shot and lowered her voice.

"It's just me now Amanda," Nikita hissed into the phone, "Let's make a deal."

"I'm not here to negotiate," Amanda yawned.

"I think you're gonna like this one," Nikita scoffed, "Me and the black box for Ava. Let her go safely back to Michael and I will surrender myself with the box."

"Michael would never agree to that." Amanda chastised.

"That's exactly why we're not going to tell him," Nikita stated, "Do you catch my drift?"

"Yes, I think I understand" Amanda acknowledged.

"Good," Nikita breathed, "Now where do we make the trade?"

"Overlin Park. One hour," Amanda recited, "Just you, Michael, and the box. Once you are in our custody, we will return Ava to Michael."

"That's fine," Nikita accepted, "But I'm warning you. Any funny business and-"

"I will keep my word," Amanda assured. There was a short pause. "Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"I don't expect you to understand love Amanda," Nikita scoffed haughtily, "But I'm doing this for them. At least this way Ava can grow up with one parent."

"What about Michael?"

"He'll be fine," Nikita shot, "He won't let Ava down."

"So it's settled then," Amanda said.

"Yes," Nikita agreed. "See you in an hour."

"Looking forward to it," Amanda purred deviously as the line went dead.


	10. The Exchange

**Chapter 10: The Exchange**

**_Meanwhile, back at Division..._**

Birkhoff watched as Ava pointed at him and jabbered happily to Amanda. She turned and looked up at him deviously, and then he knew that he has been exposed. He turned to leave, but Amanda was too quick, and she was already out the door.

"Not so fast traitor," Amanda called menacingly, "So how long have you been hiding their location?"

"A few hours," Birkhoff admitted.

"What?" Amanda asked skeptically.

"They left me in the dark five years ago just like you," Birkhoff explained, "But then I saw them at the store in Barbados. It was the first time I had seen them since they left, I promise!"

"Why didn't you report them?" Amanda demanded, "Or better yet, shoot them on site!"

"Because they were my _friends_," Birkhoff cried, "And they were in the company of their five year old _daughter_. I gave them a head start to run and then I was going to report them, but Fields came in all proud of himself for spotting them outside the store."

"Why would you do that?" Amanda spat, drawing nearer.

"Because they deserve to live!" Birkhoff yelled, "And they deserve to be happy and raise their _child_ in peace." He pointed at Ava in the room below. "Speaking of, that's pretty low of you, kidnapping a _five_ year old!" He barked, disgusted.

"We do what is necessary," Amanda replied coldly, "Besides, she proved extremely useful. She was only too happy to talk about the silly mister from the grocery store."

"She doesn't know what she's saying!" Birkhoff hissed, "You're using her to bring down her own parents and it's wrong on so many levels!"

"Too bad you won't be here to see them actually brought to justice," Amanda said menacingly, reaching for her phone to call for security.

"I don't think that's gonna happen," Birkhoff answered, slapping the phone from her hand. He stomped on it, smashing it to pieces. He slide-swiped Amanda in the knees, knocking her to the ground, and took off as fast as he could. He made it to the central elevator and took it all the way to the surface. He got in his car and sped off, nearly missing the strike team behind him. _Well, I guess I'm rogue now_, Birkhoff thought disbelievingly. _I gotta warn Mike and Niki_!

**_The scene opens on Overton park with Michael and Nikita_**

Nikita and Michael arrived at the park, weapons armed at the ready. They surveyed the area. No sign of anyone, though they were a few minutes early.

"So what exactly is the plan?" Michael asked Nikita, scanning the perimeter of the park.

"Amanda thinks we're here to surrender ourselves in exchange for Ava's safety," Nikita explained, "But we're really here to raise some hell and get our daughter back."

"Nikita I get that," Michael began, "But what exactly is our plan of attack?"

"I hadn't really thought that far," Nikita lied, "I figured we'd just wing it."

"Alright," Michael agreed reluctantly, "We'll have to watch our backs carefully."

Just then, a black van pulled up at the south edge of the parking lot. Two armed agents exited the vehicle. One of them went to the trunk and pulled out two large fire arms. The other opened the side door and helped a confused Ava out of the car. Michael flinched with anger, and lunged forward.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Nikita warned, holding him back, Any sudden movements and they'll get spooked. We can't risk anything happening to Ava.

"Right," Michael said, defeated. Just then, one of the agents locked eyes with Nikita and motioned for her to come forward.

"Stay back and do what I say," Nikita told Michael as she slowly walked forward. She held her hands up, holding the black box in one.

"Nikita, no!" Michael cried, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Michael," she called behind her, "But this was the only way I could live with myself. I made a deal with Amanda."

"How could you?" Michael winced, "What about our daughter?"

"She'll be safe with you," Nikita said, tears streaming down her face, "I know you'll love her and protect her enough for the both of us."

"Nikita, please don't do this!" Michael begged.

"I love you," Nikita whispered. She blew him a kiss as she turned and continued to walk away.

"NIKITA!" Michael screamed, but it was too late. She has reached the armed men and her daughter.

"Let me talk to her?" She pleaded with them. They nodded, and released Ava.

"Mommy!" She cried happily.

"Hi pretty girl," Nikita laughed through her tears, "Are you alright? Mommy was so worried about you."

"I was scared at first," Ava admitted, "But then a nice lady named Amanda talked to me and she said she's gonna help you!"

"Is that right?" Nikita asked, trying not to think of the horrendous lies that Amanda must have fed her. Ava was too young to understand.

"Yep!" Ava confirmed.

"Well i'm glad," Nikita smiled, holding her daughter's face in her hands, "Now I need you to do something for mommy. It's very important. Listen very carefully. Do you see daddy over there? I need you to go run over to him and stay there with him no matter what. Do you understand me?"

"Yes mommy," Ava obeyed, "Are you coming with me?"

"Not right now princess," Nikita said through wet tears, "But I'll be with you real soon. And no matter what happens, I want you to know that mommy loves you very much, okay?"

"Okay," Ava agreed, "I love you too mommy!" Nikita hugged her daughter tight and kissed her on the head.

"Alright, you go on now!" Nikita called to her.

"Bye bye, mommy!" Ava waved as she scampered off towards Michael's waiting arms.

"I love you!" Nikita cried out, completely breaking down on her knees.

"Alright, time to go" one of the guards said, nudging her shoulder. She looked up and glared at him menacingly.

"You're lucky I'm surrendering myself right now," Nikita growled at him, "Because if I wasn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. You'd be _dead_."

"Yeah yeah yeah," sighed the guard annoyed, "_Get_ _up_." He pulled her up and shoved her towards the open car door.

Michael watched the exchange in anguish. He was so distraught from what was happening. He knew she was doing it for them, but once again, she completely ignored how he would feel if he lost her. He couldn't think about that now though, because a bouncing, unsuspecting five year old was bounding toward him this very second.

"Daaaady!" Ava cried happily, running straight into his arms.

"Hey baby girl," he cried, "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Mommy says she's not coming with us," Ava explained, confused.

"I know sweetie," Michael said, "But don't worry, she's gonna come back. I _promise_" he said as he kissed her head and held her tight. Now that she was back in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. But all he could think about was how to get Nikita back. Just then, a bumbling, rambling Birkhoff came running down the lawn towards them.

"MIKE!" he yelled like his life depended on it, "It's a trap! Don't listen to them! They've got Av-" He stopped suddenly. As he screeched to a halt in front of Michael, he saw Ava safe in his arms. "Oh," he said confused.

"Yeah," Michael said, "We got her back. Only we lost Nikita."

"What?" Birkhoff cried.

"She sacrificed herself to save Ava," Michael explained, heart-wrenchingly.

"We gotta stop them!" Birkhoff said desperately, "It's one-on-one, we can take em'!" As he said that, the doors of the black van slammed shut and it sped off.

**_****** That is all I have so far! I hope you enjoyed reading! Please let me know if you made it through all 10 chapters! I have more on the way. Most of chapter 11 is written, but I just have to finalize it and it will be up soon. Keep a lookout, and as always, comments are appreciated! :) ******_**


	11. The Plan

******** Here is the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. I've been pretty busy lately. I will try to post new chapters more frequently from now on :) ********

**Chapter 11: The Plan**

"No!" Birkhoff yelled, defeated, "I'm sorry man, if I would have warned you earlier-"

"It's alright Birkhoff," Michael forgave him, "No one could have seen this coming. Although we should have. She _is_ Nikita after all."

"You got that right," Birkhoff agreed with a snort. "So what do we do?" He asked.

"First we find her," Michael said, "Do you have any intel on what Amanda's plans are with her?"

"No idea man," Birkhoff said apologetically, "I'm out. _This_ little one blew my cover inside Division" he said, pointing at Ava. "I'm on the outside now, just like you."

"Well, luckily I put a tracker in her wedding ring," Michael explained, "So at the very least, we'll know where she is and if she's still alive. It monitors her pulse."

"Smart thinking Mike," Birkhoff praised him, "So when did you two tie the knot anyways?"

"About six months after was born," Michael answered, "Nikita wanted to wait until we were settled."

"Sounds like Niki," Birkhoff chuckled, "So what's our plan?"

"We follow Nikita's tracker, and go from there." Michael announced plainly.

"That sounds like a suicide mission, Mike." Birkhoff said.

"Well do you have any other idea? Losing Nikita is not an option!" Michael argued.

"I know that man, but think about it. Going in hot will just get us killed, and what are we supposed to do with this one in the meantime?" He asked, pointing at Ava.

"Wherever her tracker leads us, I'll go in by myself. You'll stay a few blocks away and monitor from the car with Ava." Michael offered.

"Oh, so now I'm the babysitter?" Birkhoff said annoyed.

"You're seriously complaining right now?" Michael said getting agitated.

"Relax buddy, I'll do it." Birkhoff assured him.

"Alright, let's get going then." Michael said.

"Where are we going, daddy?" Ava asked.

"We're going to get mommy, sweetie." Michael smiled at his daughter.

**_The scene switches back to Nikita._**

After about twenty minutes tied up in the cramped, uncomfortable van, Nikita felt it jolt to a halt. _We must be back at Division_, Nikita thought. Although what she was about to walk into was almost certain death, she wasn't scared. She took solace in knowing that Ava was back safely with Michael. She hoped that he wouldn't do anything rash like try and storm Division, but knowing Michael, he probably would. Though that fact gave her a tiny smidgen of hope for escape, she didn't let herself feel it, because the chances of him succeeding were extremely low. Just then, the door swung open loudly and a bag was pulled over her head. She was led for about ten minutes before they finally stopped. They tied her to a chair and took off the bag. She knew exactly where she was. She was in the Interrogation room. She had tortured many a prisoner here. She shuddered at the memories. At that moment, Amanda came stalking into the room.

"Hello Nikita," she greeted coldly, "It's good to see you."

"Right back at you." Nikita spat back sarcastically.

"No need to be hostile," Amanda stated, "After all _you're_ the one who asked to be here."

"You didn't leave me much choice," Nikita argued.

"True," Amanda admitted, "Although you always had the choice to run away again and never look back."

"You know I could _never_ do that!" Nikita cried.

"Such a _big_ heart Nikita," Amanda scolded, "It's going to be the death of you."

"So what," Nikita taunted her, "You gonna torture me now? Water? Fire? Knives? _Bring_ _it on_. I came here ready to die."

"Oh no," Amanda laughed, "Torture and death would be much too merciful of me. You _betrayed _me, Nikita. I gave you gifts and you turned them around and used them against me. I have a very different future laid out for _you_."

"So what's your plan then?" Nikita questioned, faking boredom, "Because I'm getting a little _tired_ of our recurring game of cat-and-mouse."

"You will stay here as Division's prisoner," Amanda announced, "And every day you will watch footage of your precious daughter and her father live their lives without you."

"You really think that's going to break me?" Nikita pressed haughtily.

"Oh no," Amanda smirked, "I expect that it will do much the opposite. It will fuel your strength and will power to fight back and rejoin your little family."

"So what's your end game then?" Nikita demanded, "What are you playing at?"

"Eventually, Michael will move on from you," Amanda began, "And when he does, _just_ when he's put his life back together, started a new relationship, found a nice mother figure for Ava, only _then_ will I return you to them, simply to have you _killed_ right in front of them. The emotional turmoil of seeing you again will destroy Michael, and witnessing the death of the mother she barely knew will scar poor little Ava for life. Let's see how you live with _that_ on your conscience, huh Nikita?"

"You're a _monster_!" Nikita roared at her, struggling in attempt to free herself from the restraints.

"Don't even try," Amanda scoffed, "It's reinforced steel."

"Why are you doing this?" Nikita asked, "It's not like you didn't replace us after we left. And there's plenty more where that came from with the bureau of prisons. Why is stopping Michael and I _so_ important to you?"

"Because we _gave_ you a new life, and you threw it away," Amanda breathed, almost emotional, "You don't deserve to just start over and forget about who made your continued existence possible!"

"Division is illegal, corrupt, and wrong," Nikita argued back, "You trained us how to infiltrate, seduce, spy and _kill_. How is _that_ a better life?"

"You were serving your country," Amanda countered.

"Whatever you need to say, Amanda, not to let the guilt eat you alive. I know you must feel something about the kind of place you've been running." Nikita challenged.

"I'm quite proud of the work we've accomplished here, actually" Amanda smiled evilly.

"Well I'm glad," Nikita said sarcastically, "You can die happy now, because when I get out of here, and trust me I will, I will hunt you down and kill you. And then I will shut this place down for good!" Nikita promised strongly.

"I'd like to see you try," Amanda laughed. Just then, the alarm surrounded loudly throughout the entire facility. Amanda pressed the com in her ear. "What is it?" She asked Operations.

"There's been a perimeter breech, ma'am" Nikita heard. Amanda's face frowned.

"Told you Michael would be coming for me," Nikita smiled.

"This isn't over," Amanda said angrily before stalking out the room.


	12. The Attack

******** This chapter is kind of short, but it's pretty much a filler chapter to get to the action of Michael rescuing Nikita! I hope you like it, and as always, comments and reviews are appreciated :) ********

**Chapter 12: The Attack**

Amanda stormed into Ops with a menacing scowl on her face. She stalked over to Percy, who was conferring with Sonya, Birkhoff's replacement as head tech person.

"What's the status on the perimeter breech?" She demanded.

"Collin and Jordan's trackers just went offline at the Barn," Sonya explained timidly.

"Well what are you waiting for? Send an Alpha team so assess the area!" Amanda yelled.

"A strike team is already on their way" Percy assured her.

"What? No! They can't kill him! Tell them to stand down. Sonya, get me a com!" Amanda screeched.

"Yes ma'am," Sonya replied, "But may I ask why they shouldn't shoot?"

"For my plan to work, Michael must remain alive," Amanda explained.

"Maybe it's time to put your little plan to rest, Amanda" Percy yawned.

"Excuse me?" Amanda almost whispered in shock, "Are you forgetting who we're talking about here?"

"No," Percy answered calmly, "But they were in the wind for five years and things were perfectly fine. Now all of a sudden they turn up, you kidnap their daughter, and Division is under attack! I think it's time we think about letting them go. As long as they don't mess with Division, I don't really care at this point."

"That's not an option anymore Percy," Amanda countered, "I just spoke with Nikita and she was quite vocal about taking this place down."

"So cancel her," Percy suggested, "After all, she's sitting here in our custody."

"We'd still have Michael to deal with, and Birkhoff… not to mention Ava" Amanda said begrudgingly.

"Cancel them _all_ for all I care," Percy exclaimed, "Just don't let them interfere with our work!"

"I'll handle it," Amanda promised as she turned on her heels and click-clacked out of the room. Percy sighed and rolled his eyes as he heard Amanda speak into her com, "Alpha team 1, this is Amanda. Stand down. I repeat, stand down. Do not shoot."

**_The scene switches to the Barn with Michael._**

Michael wrapped his way around the truck parked outside the Barn and crouched next to it, gun ready and loaded. He inched his way closer to the door, trying to get a look inside. Through a crack in the side he saw two agents, fulltime centuries whose sole job was the guard the perimeter of Division. He took a deep breath, drew his gun higher, and kicked the door down. He began shooting at the two agents, who were taken by surprise. It didn't take them long to draw their own weapons, though. Michael was quicker however, and easily overtook the female. After another few minutes of hand-to-hand combat, Michael successfully neutralized the man.

"Guards are down, I'm moving in" Michael said into his com.

"Copy that," Birkhoff replied, "I'm tapped into Division security. The silent alarm was just activated. Strike team headed your way, buddy!"

"Got it, thanks" Michael said as he entered the all too familiar elevator. Little did he know, but Sonya had noticed the use of the elevator, and notified the strike team. She overrode the elevator and stopped it in its tracks. When the door opened, they were waiting for him. Six agents with guns were pointed directly at him. Just then, Michael heard Amanda's angry voice over their coms, telling them to stand down. He sighed in relief, but it only lasted a few seconds, for two men grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back towards the elevator. When the door opened, they dragged him to Holding and waited for further instructions. A few minutes later, Amanda walked in with a cold expression on her face.

"Hello Michael," Amanda purred.

"Where's Nikita?" Michael growled back at her.

"She's unable to present herself at the moment," Amanda cooed.

"You won't get away with this," Michael warned.

"Oh Michael," Amanda laughed, "You don't understand. I already have."

"How?" Michael questioned, "You think that just because you have both of us down here, you've won? There are people on the outside that will come for us!"

"Like who? _Birkhoff_?" Amanda scoffed.

"Like people you don't even know!" Michael yelled.

"That's a nice bluff," Amanda brushed his threat off, "But as soon as your geeky little friend gives up, which he will, I'll be able to continue with my plan. For now, just sit tight. I'll bring you something to read if you're good." She smiled as she turned and left.

"Birkhoff?" Michael whispered, "Can you still hear me?"

"YES! Thank the lord! I thought you'd been shot!" Birkhoff exclaimed.

"I'm fine. Listen, they've got me in Holding. Can you override the system controls?"

"Are you kidding? I can do that in my sleep!" Birkhoff bragged, "Give me a sec." A minute later, Michael heard a click as the door slid open." He smiled as he stepped out and peered around the corner. Once the coast was clear, he made his way down the hall to find Nikita.


End file.
